New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-20
MRS. sTEvENs's MARRIAGE.
THE SETTLEMENT OF HER PROPERTY. !.

srpGE rIERREPoNT's CONTEST WITH THE FRENCH
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FOR AMERICAN PRINCHLhS'
The Etrura arrived from Liverpool yesterday morning.
unusually early even for that speedy ship Among her
messengers was Judge Edwards Pierrepont As Is wen
known the object OF Judge Pierreponts journey 10 Eu-
rome was 20 conduct the negotiations for the settlements
and marriage contract OF Mrs. Adele Stevens formerly
Fsederack stevenss wife, who married 10 the Mar
ouis de Taeyrand on the 25th OF last month In the
afternoon Judge PerrepoDt cOurteousy received re-
porter of THE TRIBUNE, aud consented to give history
Of the muchtalkedof case
have known Mrs Stevens began Judge Perrepont'
"from her childhood She the daughter OF Joseph
Sampson an old Yorker whose house and grounds
were AT Broadway and Bondst the site now occupied
by the big clothing had known her erandfather'
Colonel Livingston and had transacted business TOT hin
and on the whole my relations with the famiiy "ero
close. This will explain how came to be caiieu 'o 'o
matter. .
Mrs steyens's first marriage took place abouttw
five years ago Five children were born OF whom one mas
died The only is now nvlng ID 0oiol"u ,, Us
health One of the daughters. who Is OF age, Is WIN ~
father and the two younger are under their holhe
cor. Mr. and Mrs Stevens occupied the house on the
o,tbwest corner OF Fifth ave- and Fifty-seventhst
which now belongs TO William C. Whitney Ihere Deeah
20 Inc differences between the-not about ono thns puV
about many and they further and further apart
The MARQUIS de Taleyrand Mrs stevenss present nus
hand was a great friend OF Mr.. stevens Mr. stevens
brought him TO the house. and he made his home dur
fpg one season The Marquis became the friend OF
Mrs Stevens as well of her husband and this with the
husbands complete approval"
"Just here" continued Judge Perrepont, 81 wish TO
saw that the scandal which gathered about the friendship
of Mrs Stevens and the Marquis dc Taleyrand was with
on. foundation do not mean he understood that Mrs.
stevenss conduct was not unwise but know that
there was no truth in the scandalOus stories to which II
gave rise. For instance when IL was common mo M te
know that her husband went down TO me snip 10 sec
care During her residence in Paris the true reason for
which the public did not know, and consequently
ogdence alsd With 1ne his wife and with de aeyand
we'll Even now the kindbest relations eNS' De'"een
Mrs Stevens and her grownup children.
"However. the differences between husband ana WIG
wider and she at last decided hS TO s omh
in the Supreme Court of Rhode Island was her com
stevenss conduct was praiscworthy In fact divorce
was the simplest and wiscst solution OF the problem me
decree was pronounced March "a OF last year. ana e
custody of tine two minor daughters given to the
mother The and daughter who were ALREADY Oh age
suppose that during their intimacy Mrs stevens
and ~ de Taeyrand fell IN love with each other II was
not unnatural that they should do so AS soon rs inc
marriage agreed upon Mrs stevens sent for me 10
bic tbonr perbaps does not come up 10 the popu
estimate of six or seven millions Is extremely ,
property at Broadway and Bond ST. which her fathers
house stood also Nos ad ss 1 Feneh law lives 70
n husband his wife when there are no ahte-huPua
ea over Ss slave The French hn
hand cannot sell his wife, with that exception he has
almost unbounded control over her liberty and her prop
erty. .,u., ,o,,,,or ,,r. s,ovons nor desired |
any such state of affairs IN her case started Tor Paris
in early part of December and for month afer my
arrival devoted myself to study ing Inc rIencm Jaw
10 draw the contract The French notary Is not al al
ike the same official in this country There his once IS
semi.bereoitary aud he acts the deposary OF the
deeds and settlements Well the first POINT over which
we disagreed the stipulation winch the fTench@aa
wished 10 insert in the conracttha the parties should
be subject the French law except in snch particulars
and they yielded Then came the question Of tn, the
of M IN s The '%SE
opened their eyes IN amazemcpi They a9 eN g neua
the law which forbls it,, replied They were forced TO
admit that there was 10 such law but sui they were NOT
willing to break down old traditions.
Finally they agreed to submit the point to NJ Moreau
an eminent lawyer who had been counsel to the American
Legation and whom / had retained 10 assist me- NJ |
Moreau admitted that the proposed disposition OF the
property not illegal although ne mad never seen ba e
Mrs Stevens should have the absolute cohuoi OF her
Then another point arose. wished that the contract
should be executed i'll dupcateone draft in french ana
fore the American Consutfat is American soil My
object this: As the bulk OF the property was IN
be subject to the uncertainty attending the Interpretation
q words and IN e eeS contract
will be Illegal IAN right answered 'fit Is Illegal II
Frenrh'
al believe they hagged longer this than over any
other pon nut would yield, and at last they agreed
TO this Then there other points OF dispute such
rights children, but ali
my satisfaction Throughout all the negotiations NJ de
Taleyrand acted honoraby, and cooperatcd with
in my efforts to secure what considered proper sell
Elements. -.
.Tbe marriage you know, took place on January %
NJ Talleyrand forty -four old on his wedding
day. His father. the Due de Dino, an old man |
who lives in Florence, was at the wedding breakfast
comforting his title his so that Mrs Stevens
would be a duchess The would naturally have in |
herited his fathers death, and although
had objection TO Mrs Stevens being called duchess
wanted to make that the duke had the right TO
surrender the title. 20 ! again consulted NJ. MORGAN,
aud that this right rested upon old observanccs
of the French nobility and fully sanctioned So Mrs
Stevens the Duchesse de Dino ana her marriage